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Thursday, August 23, 2012

‘Neighbor’ weighs price of indifference

Let checkout about the up comming Korean horror flick "

Clockwise
from left, actors Kim Yun-jin, Kim Sae-rom, Kim Sung-kyun, Ma Dong-seok
and Do Ji-han in “The Neighbor,” a film by Kim Hwi. The crime thriller
is currently in theaters nationwide.

/ Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

What would you do if you found out someone living in your building is a
serial killer? That is the premise of the new thriller “The Neighbor,”
which opened on Wednesday. While the usual comic book hero would fight
against evil, the answer is not so clear cut in this more realistic
setting.

All the neighbors in the film are reluctant to act due to self-interest.
One character does not want the property price to fall after a scandal.
Another wants to avoid attention from the police, as he has just five
months left before his statute of limitations runs out. Some simply do
not want to meddle without evidence, clinging to their daily routines.
Meanwhile, the criminal continues to kill.

Just by this story alone, based on Kang Full’s eponymous web-based comic
book series (referred to as “webtoon” in Korea) the directorial debut
by Kim Hwi (screenwriter for “Haeundae,” 2009, one of the biggest hits
in the Korean box office, among others) should find enough audience.

The cast members are excellent across the board, and the set design
successfully brings the cartoony ambiance to life. There is no doubt
that Kim has a firm grasp of storytelling, acting, lighting, camera
angles and pace.

The only problem is his occasional oversight in criminology, which puts the whole film’s seriousness at risk.

The most obvious mistake happens when the killer (Kim Sung-kyun from
“Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time,” 2011) successfully covers up a
bloody murder scene in the apartment’s main hallway by breaking a single
bottle of red wine. Is it not obvious that the amount of fluid on the
floor far surpasses 1.5 liters? The director’s choice is odd, given that
this particular murder happens in a completely different, more
“sensible” setting in the webtoon.

That is not to say that the online comic book series is flawless. The
criminal’s past is never mentioned, and there is no information about
his crimes prior to the first one seen on screen. Why does he kill on a
regular schedule? What are his motives? They are never explained.

Still “Neighbor” pushes its flaws aside thanks to the exceptional cast members.

With his facial expression perfectly suited for the character’s amoral
killing spree, the evil killer role is another breakthrough performance
for Kim Sung-kyun after “Gangster.”

Kim Yun-jin, the Korean-American actress best known internationally for
her role in “Lost,” is another right choice, as the first victim’s
stepmother trying to overcome her guilt for letting her stepdaughter
come home alone. Her vulnerability and subsequent courage come in just
the right doses.

Ma Dong-seok, former trainer for American mixed martial artists Mark
Coleman and Kevin Randleman and last seen in “Nameless Gangster: Rules
of the Time” alongside Kim Sung-kyun, also stands out as Hyeok-mo the
loan shark.

It is unclear why the original webtoon’s 17-year-old school-girl victims
were changed to suit the 12-year-old Kim Sae-ron (“The Man from
Nowhere,” 2010, alongside Won Bin), but she shows promise of becoming a
great actress someday.

“The Neighbor” is now in theaters nationwide. Runs for 110 minutes. Rated for 18 and over. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment.